Sunday 2nd March - All 7 seen

The ponies were grazing in the sunshine near ///hands.putts.tender, in the northeast corner of the site, at 14:05 this afternoon. They were all very friendly, taking turns coming over to say hello and enjoy the first of many strokes. Tilly especially enjoyed a long neck rub, relaxing so much that she struggled to keep her eyes open. The girls were all happy, at ease, and looking well.

After our initial greetings, the ponies returned to grazing, slowly moving south toward the main path while regularly coming back for more strokes. They enjoyed plenty of heather, gorse, long grass, and other plants thriving in the swampy, waterlogged ground. At one point, Megan stepped into a deep pool of water to nibble on the plants floating on the surface, completely unbothered by getting her feet and legs wet!

By 15:05, the ponies had gathered near the main path and soon set off in single file toward the corner by the racecourse near ///earl.anthems.hikes. They were happy for me to walk alongside them. Upon arriving, some began munching on gorse, while others wandered into the trees and bushes to rest in the shade. They continued to seek my company, happily accepting more strokes and rubs. After a while, the ponies moved into the southwest corner to graze, though Tilly stayed behind, relishing chin and neck rubs. She was perfectly content to stand and be stroked, occasionally resting her head on my shoulder and showering me with cuddles and nuzzles.

By 16:30, all seven ponies were happily grazing in the southwest corner, feasting on gorse. With the temperature cooling and the flies gone, they seemed much more comfortable. It was wonderful to spend some extra time with them before saying my goodbyes just before 17:00. Tilly seemed reluctant for me to leave, catching up with me as I walked away for a final round of strokes.

The bald patch above the new bay pony’s eye appeared similar to how it looked on Friday but had faded from white to a more grey tone. She approached me several times today and happily accepted brief neck scratches. However, I noticed her rubbing her neck, head, and sides against trees near the racecourse multiple times. Additionally, the original bay pony has similar bald patches on the inside of all four legs. The worst was on her left rear leg, which is shown in the photo below. She also has a small chip in her left rear hoof. Close-up photos have been shared with the owner.

The ponies were all good today.